December 22, 2019

"Joy to the world the Lord is come… let heaven and nature sing."

We exist in a time and a situation, where joy and happiness have been largely eclipsed. The morning news is repeatedly replete with heartbreaks, causing sorrow to mind and heart. One information becomes more anxious than another: accidents, robberies, encounters, frauds, suicides, lynching, rapes… the catalog goes on… Oh yeah, this is simply abhorring and frightening. Why has human person become so violent? Why is pugnaciousness massacring humanity and humanness? Why such a walloping bankruptcy in humanity? Is the humanness in man dead? Have we become only cadavers? It is simply a chilling existence.

In an ocean of such melancholic waves, Christmas, announces the exultation and delight of the birth of humaneness in its pristine beauty. The word 'Christmas' means the celebration of the birth of Jesus; in Spanish it is called as Navidad; in Italian,Natale, in French, Noël. The very thought of Christmas ushers in joy, happiness, elation, celebration and festivity. The entire environment is girdled with an ambiance of color, illumination, pleasant weather, dazzling decorations. The eternal melodies of the carols, soothes and calms our being. It goes without saying, the Christmas sweets, variety of dishes, cakes, delicious cuisine, is too lovely to relish. The Star, the Santa, the Crib, the Christmas Tree, evokes our sublime soul and ignites in us the divine presence. Yes, Christmas is a celebration of the magnitude human person; it is Emmanuel, God becoming human and dwelling amidst us. It is the festivity of the presence of Jesus amidst us. It is simply joy to the world because the Lord is come and calls us to rejoice and sing. It is an invitation for a triple fête:

Christmas, a Celebration of Giving: The Christmas Crib displays the joy of giving. Giving starts with God, He so loved the world that He gave His only son. God’s generosity is revealed in plenitude. The best and the finest is given to us by our heavenly Father. The joy of giving is pronounced by Mother Mary by giving her beloved child to the world, St Joseph, giving his out-and-out life for the babe and the mother in the Manger. The Star giving light and direction to the three wise men. The animals, giving place for the baby Jesus to be born; the three kings, giving gifts to the new born King. A celebration of giving, beginning from God to trees and animals; the entire nature. Christmas, the birth of Jesus, confounds to the truth that there is more happiness in giving than receiving. Giving brings joy and contentment, it simply thrills; it brings peace and the joie de vivre. Yes, as Ben Carson notes, “Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.” Christmas tells us that if you wish to be happy, healthy and joyful, share your goodness with others, especially with the, poor, old, sick, and the less fortunate. It makes us aware what Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” But what shall I give, for I may not have gold and silver, money or fortune, but the Crib where Jesus was born, tells us that you can always give. The tree gives shade, the sun gives light, the moon gives brightness, the birds sing; as humans, we have such an ocean of wealth. It only requires us to be generous. Mother Theresa always used to say, if you cannot give anything at least give a smile. “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Give a word of encouragement, or appreciation, give a pat on somebody’s back, and do not forget the most powerful and princely giving is forgiving.

Christmas, a Celebration of Listening: It is just being there, being present, being at the side of someone. Mary and Joseph were just being present near the baby Jesus, they just listened to the little cry from the mouth of the babe. They were joyful. They listened to the language of the animals, trees…. It is silent night, a holy night, a night where peace pervades human heart and mind. A night of listening to the tranquil whispers of God speaking to us through a little babe. We live today in world of noise, listening is abhorred. People have become frightened of silence. We hear a lot, but seldom listen; we are inundated with an avalanche of hullabaloo. Christmas invites us to listen: parents listen to their children, youngsters listen to the older folks, friends listen to the joys and sorrows for their comrades, doctors listen to their patients, spiritual leaders listen to their people, and humans listen to the language of the nature. We all need to hear the little babe Jesus speaking to us through our parents, children, elders, the tiny tots, the nature. “Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.” Listening is a fine homily, a piece of art, a real relaxation, for it touches the deep recesses of the person, it heals, comforts, it is the loudest form of kindness. And “listening is often the only thing needed to help someone.”

Christmas a Celebration of Humility: The Crib of the birth of Jesus is the translation of simplicity in fullness. The little babe in swaddling cloths; Mother Mary and Joseph having nothing of their own. There is no wealth, no gold or silver, no land, no money, no belongings, no possessions, but there is abundance of love, patience, peace, joy, happiness, delight, purity of heart and mind, simplicity and goodness of human existence. The Crib proclaims that there is “everything in nothing and nothing in everything”. It is a clear testimony to show that what life needs is not possessions of mundane realities but it is happiness. Off course, happiness is an inside job. People who are extremely happy are the ones possessed by love, patience, forgiveness, generosity and love. The Manger where the Lord Jesus is born is the world’s display of happiness. The Manger vibrates love, sparks tenderness and peace. We live in an environment where in the temptation for possessions are at its climax. The side effects of which are jealously, envy, anger, crimes, murders, hatred, gossips, calumnies, which we breathe on daily basis. Christmas calls us to go the Manger, lieu par excellence where our Lord Jesus is born, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords telling us, a simple but powerful truth that life with possessions will only put us into the penury of human existence stripping the beauty of human life leading towards evils of all sorts. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, invites all of us to go back to the Crib where the Lord is born inorder to rediscover the humanness which we have lost. In his recent Apostolic Letter Admirabile Signum (Wonderful sign), the Pope says, “The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to realize that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him.”

Wish you all Feliz Navidad, joyful and delightful Christmas. May the Child Jesus bless us all.